I had a major flashback to my Florence study abroad days when I was perusing The Sartorialist‘s blog the other day. He snapped this photo of an accordion player in Rome (photo on left), and I swear it’s the same fella my SA roomie and I saw back in 2005! What do you think? Anyway, it totally brought me back to one of the best experiences of my life, four months of Italian art, culture, and food . . . pure heaven. See my fave pics from the trip below.

photo booth! kate spade sequin pumps! twinkle light covered trees!

The wedding in Arizona this weekend was hot, but beautiful! I loved many, many things about it (e.g. the white sangria), but I thought I’d highlight just a few with some snapshots from the festivities. Picture This Photo Booths had a photo booth at the reception – complete with props! – and I can’t wait to see the pics up on the Web site. The gorgeous bride – Stephanie Fay (now Motte!) – was wearing glittery Kate Spade pumps that I have been lusting over for weeks. Obsessed. And I couldn’t get over the twinkle light-filled courtyard reception! So romantic!

**A thank you to Ashlyn from Carter & Cook Event Co. for the photo of Steph’s shoes!**

Anthropologie.com

I’m heading out to Scottsdale, Ariz. in the next half hour, so I’ll have a lot to write about when I get back! I’m sure it’s going to be a gorgeous (fun!) wedding, since the lovely wedding photographer Stephanie Fay is the bride, and I haven’t been to Arizona since I was super little, so that’s an adventure in and of itself.

I’m borrowing Molly New York’s Sweet Olive Shift from my good friend Heather - so cute! – and my trimmed up sideswept bangs and apple red mani/pedi complete the look! (Still haven’t decided on shoes…)

It’s supposed to be pretty warm over there, quite a change from the cool temps we’ve had here this past week, so we might have to cool off at the Sugar Bowl Ice Cream Parlor, my sources say it’s the place to be!

Have a great weekend!

Heaven - viceroypalmsprings.com

I’ll just cut to the chase.

If you like being pampered, impeccable design and spending your day soaking up the sun on a pool float in a perfectly temperate crystal clear pool with an ice cold beverage in your hand, please, for the love, spend a night (or more) at the Viceroy Palm Springs. Pronounced (Miami) vice + roy, this luxury hotel was beautiful, relaxing and full of helpful, attentive staff. It was absolutely perfect for a girls weekend!

More pictures, after the jump.

Palm Springs Screenprint $25 by Jason Hill Design - etsy.com

Tonight I’ll be packing for a sunny girls-only trip to Palm Springs – complete with plenty of sunbathing, evening excursions, fruity drinks and cute warm weather ensembles. From sunglasses to totes, see what I will be bringing (and wish I was bringing!) after the jump…

City Neighborhood Poster by Ork Posters $22 - orkposters.com

Since I have a fabulous girls trip in Palm Springs this upcoming weekend (yay!), we decided to celebrate our two-year a week early by spending Labor Day weekend in LA. We had so much fun just walking around, shopping, seeing new areas of LA while driving around (not lost ) and eating way, way too much food.

In two days, we explored West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Santa Monica and Culver City; ate at six restaurants (technically two were for dessert only); shopped at three malls (including Third Street Promenade); and went to possibly the only IHOP with valet.

“You want to practice parking?”
“What’s the point? Everywhere you go has valet.”

(If you don’t know that movie, we can’t be friends.)

More trip details, after the jump!

Palihouse Holloway (the flowers were from Ryker)

Since our trip was very last minute, we found our hotel through the “Last Minute Deals” section at TabletHotels.com, a site I just discovered for finding unique, cool hotels on a budget. We got an amazing deal on a room at Palihouse Holloway in West Hollywood, the kind of deal where you read, and then re-read the fine print because you can’t believe it. The guest suites in this boutique hotel, which is technically meant for long-term stays, include a full kitchen, washer/dryer and living room. I loved all the creative touches, including a huge framed collage of Polaroid photos in the room and a wall in the lobby covered in cork with a metallic stenciled design on it. I am by no means a design expert, but I would say the hotel’s aesthetic was modern British with whimsical details.

Basix Cafe - basixcafe.com

We ate lunch the first day at Basix Cafe down the street from the hotel. We both got paninis, and I kind of wish I’d gone the brunch route… I’m pretty sure mine had mayo on it, and anyone who knows me knows I’m not a happy person when I find condiments on my food. I tried to suck it up and eat it, but it was taking a lot of willpower. The side was homemade potato chips, and they were quite average. There were several cafes along the same street (the lines were outta control), so next time I would definitely try one of the other ones.

The Hall Courtyard Brasserie - thehallbrasserie.com

After spending the rest of the day shopping at The Grove and the Beverly Center, we came back to the hotel for dinner at The Hall. The ambiance was great – located in the hotel’s inner courtyard, it has a street cafe feel with its hanging lights and cobblestone ground. While the entrees were delicious (steak frites and braised lamb shank), the real standout dishes were the appetizers. We had the yellow tail crudo with avocado, red grapefruit and herb salad; and scallops in a very spicy, very distinctly flavorful curry. I resisted the macaroni gratin this time, but I doubt I will be able to next time.

The IHOP

The next morning we couldn’t resist having breakfast at the IHOP across the street. What kind of IHOP has valet? Apparently the West Hollywood kind. Nice cars out front, hipsters inside and cheap, greasy breakfast food inside. Not that I’m complaining, I was quite impressed with my harvest grain ‘n nut pancake topped with blueberry compote. (OK, and my hash browns with scrambled eggs and bacon… Yes, we did eat a lot this weekend.)

Lemon, left, and coconut.

We went to Sprinkles later that day and I was stoked to finally use a “whisper” word from the shop’s Twitter. Every day I see all the free cupcakes I could be getting if only there was a Sprinkles in San Diego – it’s torture! Anyways, Ryker saved the day by remembering to mention “vacation” when we got up to the counter, scoring us two free cupcakes. I went with the lemon (so moist and lemony) and the coconut; he got the chocolate marshmallow and milk chocolate.

chloe.com

While not in the food department, at least in the shopping department we had some self control – zero purchases between the two of us. Until I saw THEM. The Chloe Sunglasses. The ones I drooled over in this post. 

We were just strolling along Rodeo Drive when I glanced over and saw an Ilori boutique. The West Coast flagship store, to be exact. I had given up hope in finding the star-studded beauts, but I hadn’t forgotten them. And lo and behold, they had the pair I wanted, but not in the right color (black). Long story long, they called me later to say they found the black ones, I ordered them on the phone the next day, and I just got them in!! So. Excited.

The real deal!

Oh, and I still have no idea what they are technically called. The style number (2181) doesn’t match up with the names on Chloe’s Web site – Callune and Tilia – and the names don’t even match up with the numerous pictures of them on Leighton Meester and Rachel Bilson. Yes, they did steal my thunder by wearing a similar pair (slightly larger, different color) in recent weeks, but I swear I’m not a copycat. My blog post is proof.

From the front, black jack quesadilla, Korean spiced fries, sliders and three tacos. On the right, acai margarita.

And now, the best part of the trip…drumroll please…dinner at the Alibi Room. So amazing, words can’t express. After our awesome lunch from the Kogi BBQ truck a few weeks ago, we just had to try the restaurant. And the food was just as good second time around (plus with the addition of Korean spiced fries! Yum). It is a bar, so keep in mind that most of the seating is at the bar and it’s 21 and up only. The food is really reasonably priced, it’s just the $10 cocktails that get ya. But I have to say, Ryker got an amazing drink with grapefruit juice and St. Germain that was totally worth the extra cash. It opens at 5:30 p.m., but food isn’t served until 6 p.m., and it fills up fast! we got there right when it opened and I can only imagine how packed it must get later on.

Book swap at Book Soup, featuring Kogi BBQ

Wow. Just, wow. I’m literally drooling right now…it’s times like these that smog and traffic fly right out of my head and I think I could actually live in L.A.

Because I am a crazy blog-following, site-visiting, Twitter-tweeting Internet fanatic, I heard through “sources” that a Goodreads-sponsored, Kogi BBQ-catered book swap would occur last Saturday at Book Soup in L.A., and I had an undeniable urge to make the trek up to this glorious event. Korean BBQ? Free books? Yesssssss please! 

It far surpassed my expectations. Not only were there tables of free books that were continually being replenished, there was yummy free wine inside from Bear Flag Wines, sweet tunes from a DJ and Kogi, was, well, to-die-for. The hour-long line wasn’t even an issue. I’m ashamed to admit how much food we consumed, especially since it was gone in about 10 min., but the glorious, delicious details, after the jump.

Yes, we were eating on the side of the street by a dumpster...

First, we had two quesadillas ($5 each) - I think one was “the black jack,” which had caramelized onions and spicy pork with cheddar and jack cheese, covered in salsa verde and sesame seeds; and the second one was similar, but with blackened chicken and a red sauce. We literally ate the food so fast we didn’t even know what we were eating.

Next up, the tacos. Oh, the tacos. My personal favorite. We had two different kinds, but couldn’t really tell the difference (probably because they were gone in 30 seconds). They were small (there are 4 on the plate in the photo I took above), and were on two mini corn tortillas each. The Korean Short Ribs and the Spicy Pork tacos ($2 each) were both filled with sesame-chili salsa roja, julienne romaine lettuce and cabbage tossed in Korean chili-soy vinaigrette, cilantro-green onion-lime relish, crushed sesame seeds and sea salt. The meat wasn’t chewy or fatty at all, it was tender and packed with ridiculously good sweet/spicy flavor.

And lastly, Ryker got the sliders ($5 for two), which I think were also filled with spicy pork, cheese and sauce (I didn’t try them). He said they were good, but his favorite was the quesadilla (can’t remember which one). We also enjoyed the plate of oranges, radishes and limes to finish off the meal. Next up, we want to try Kogi’s Culver City restaurant, The Alibi Room!

Bijou, Cafe and Voodoo Doughnut

Even though our Portland trip was quick, we managed to find two delicious gastronomic hotspots with lots of local flair and equally long waits!

On Saturday, we had an amazing brunch at the French American breakfast spot – Bijou, Cafe – and the following day had a few too many doughnuts at the Sprinkles of Portland, Voodoo Doughnut. Read all the greasy details, after the jump.

Bijou, Cafe

At Bijou, the main attractions were the DiCarlo spicy (spicy!) Italian sausage and white cheddar omelette with to-die-for potatoes, and the local berry compote and (homemade) whipped cream over pancakes. Seriously? My mouth is watering just thinking about these two delectable dishes. The compote – with blackberries, currents and blueberries – was incredible.

Voodoo Doughnut

We went to the original Voodoo Doughnut location, in Old Town Portland, and waited in a long line outside the tiny shop while what looked like a high school AV class project was being taped. Turned out it was a teen travel show, and they took the last of the bacon topped maple bars…not cool.

But we persevered, tasting the shop’s namesake – a raspberry jelly-filled voodoo doll-shaped chocolate glazed (note the pretzel sticking out of it) - a blueberry glazed cake, a Mexican hot chocolate cake, a Miami Vice glazed (hot pink and blue bubblegum flavored icing?) and a Portland cream pie (cream filled with a chocolate glaze). We did NOT try the cock-n-balls (self-explanatory) or any of the cereal topped creations.

Anyways, the shop lived up to its hype – the doughnuts were fresh and delicious. I especially loved the voodoo doll, even if the red jam oozing out was a bit graphic.

Portland, Oregon - planetware.com

I’m heading to Portland in a few hours for my cousin’s wedding. See ya’ll Monday!

stayandtour.ca

Leaving for Vancouver soon, be back in time for The Bachelorette finale!! (Hope I don’t end up buying everything in the Aritzia store!)

I’m making the trek to Pismo again this weekend, and if there’s one thing that helps a long drive not seem too dismal it’s having fun stops along the way (and a book on cd…this trip will be Frankenstein). Below are my favorite pit stops when driving up the California coast.

• I have to start the trip off with an iced Best Drink Ever from Better Buzz – should help me stay awake for the first leg of the trip.
• If traffic isn’t too bad I will pick up a dozen cupcakes from the Newport Sprinkles for the fam. I’m thinking key lime, lemon coconut, chocolate marshmellow, red velvet…mmm…
• And my top priority will be stopping in to Pacific Health Food in Goleta (right by Santa Barbara) for a chocolate milkshake. It might be healthy, but it sure doesn’t taste like it! Best. Milkshake. Ever. Plus it goes great with a bag of Pirate’s Booty.

Zoom, Zoom! Suitcase by Orla Kiely - anthropologie.com

I’ve got three mini vacations coming up this summer - a July wedding in Vancouver, an August wedding in Portland and a visit to my hometown this weekend. All three will require me to muster up all my willpower and pack LIGHT. Like one bag light. Like one carry-on bag light. It’s stressing me out already.

So I decided to put a post up on my essentials for this first trip up north, a to-do list of sorts, to keep myself on track. While the categories are the real deal - rolling suitcase, lightweight sweater, flat sandals, etc. – some of the actual items I’m featuring are on my wishlist, not in my closet.

**For fellow short-trip travelors, I’d recommend checking out the packing advice I found on Apartment Therapy the other day.**

See what I’m packing, after the jump.

Heather and Eric at last year's Stagecoach

My Stagecoach survival will depend on how much I can cram in my bag. While I envy those who are able to bring all they need in a small purse or wallet, or even pockets….I like to be prepared.

My bag is a blue and cream floral print canvas bag with leather handles that I got in Italy a few years ago. It’s my trusty summer tote, and I don’t know what I will do when it falls apart. It has long enough straps to stay on my shoulder, and is just the right size to fit what I need without being bulky. I obviously couldn’t find my exact bag online, but I found some other floral canvas bags that would work just as well.

The Artist's Totes - anthropologie.com

Floral Hobo - oldnavy.gap.com

See by Chloe Les Jardins Shopper - shopbop.com

Next, I will carry my Polaroid instant camera with extra film. Because of the discontinuation of Polaroid’s instant camera and film, I only bring it out for the most special moments. This counts. Also, if I have room I’m bringing my Flip video camera.

Polaroid Instant Camera - amazon.com

Flip Ultra - amazon.com

I’m throwing in my Rainbow sandals…just in case my cowboy boots are too uncomfortable/hot for the whole day.

Rainbow sandals

And finally, I’m bringing my Ray-Ban aviators. Ever since the Oliver Peoples opened up in Fashion Valley I’ve been itching for some new shades…below is a pair I might have to invest in for next year’s Stagecoach.

Ray-Ban Wrap Aviator Sunglasses - shopbop.com

Oliver Peoples Sabina Sunglasses - oliverpeoples.com

Check out my toesies!

On the top of my must-do list when I go to Palm Desert (more specifically, La Quinta) is riding bikes to the Trader Joe’s shopping center on Washington St. and getting a pedicure at Style Nail. It USED to include stopping at Just Java to grab a malt mocha frost…but that location just closed at the end of March. Now I have to bike over to the Jefferson location first…and let’s face it, I will have my frost finished by the time I get to the salon!

My favorite color to get would have to O.P.I.’s “Big Apple Red” (see above). It’s just so cheery and summery-y. I got it at least twice last summer! Another great color is O.P.I.’s “Strawberry Margarita.”

O.P.I. Strawberry Margarita

Style Nails has great polish brands and everyone person I’ve had has done a great job. The regular pedicure, with the massage chair, is $20.

"A Catch For the Dreamers" - Michel Tickner

We are staying at Ryker’s family’s home in Kelowna, British Columbia. Located in the Okanagan Valley (named for Lake Okanagan), this area has the perfect climate for winemaking and is sometimes called the Napa of the North. We purposely chose to come during the annual Okanagan Fall Wine Festival, which runs from Oct. 2-12 and features more than 150 events throughout the region. Because the lake is so central to the valley, even providing the area’s drinking water, many of the wineries and agricultural practices are organic, including Canada’s largest organic winery, Summerhill Pyramid Winery. I will write about that one in a future post, as it was the first winery we visited and it happens to be right up the street from Ryker’s house.

The painting of Kelowna above is by Michael Tickner, a well-known Canadian artist, originally from London.

fireworksgallery.net

On our trip to Canada we had a five-hour layover at the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (Sea-Tac), home of one of my favorite gift shops – Fireworks Gallery. It’s one of those stores where you can go back as many times as you want and each time you see something you didn’t before. I love it! I especially love its jewelry collection. I couldn’t help but make my first purchase of the trip, this delicate gold-dipped necklace with a tiny cowboy boot hanging from it.